Goodes ends up in front after day of twists and turns

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Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes twisted, sprinted and jumped through training yesterday like he'd never torn his posterior cruciate ligament last Saturday, and will be fit to play Hawthorn tomorrow.

In passing the sprinting and agility tests before training, and then finishing the session without knee soreness, Goodes convinced coach Paul Roos and the Swans medical staff that he was fit enough for the SCG encounter.

"If you hadn't had known he went down with a knee injury last week and he hadn't a knee bandage on, you wouldn't have thought there wasn't any difference to the way he normally trains," Roos said.

"It was really positive and it will look like he'll play, so that's good news for us."

Roos reiterated that Goodes's rucking days might be finished and said he would be played on the forward line tomorrow.

"He won't be in the ruck, that is for sure . . . which in a sense we've said all along. He might go on the ball as a follower; certainly won't go in the centre bounces and things like that," Roos said.

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Nor would the player do any ruck work at ball-ups or throw-ins this weekend, said the coach.

While Goodes was originally ruled out for two to six weeks, an MRI scan revealed the damage was not so severe.

"I don't think our staff were saying the season. We always knew what it was - just a matter of, without cartilage damage, bone bruising. Monday's MRI was pretty critical . . . the doctors were pretty clear," Roos said.

"He ran before training and said he felt no discomfort. You're a bit sceptical because you know everyone wants to play but he basically did the whole session. We'll go on how he trained, and it looked to me that he didn't miss a beat.

"If there was soreness, you have to wait for that soreness to go . . . he sprinted, he jumped and he twisted and he turned, and he did everything. We'll play him for sure."

Roos admitted it would give the team a boost to have its Brownlow medallist on the field - an edge that might help them find a win after four straight losses.

Swans doctor Nathan Gibbs said Goodes comfortably completed his test exercises and was then allowed to participate in the hour-long training session.

In that session he wore a knee band to support his injury.

"We said to him, 'if you are comfortable with that, then we'd be happy for you to play'," Gibbs said. "We won't be doing cartwheels until he gets through the game because there's obviously going to be a risk about what's going to happen in the game.

"As to whether his knee will get sore or he'll get through, we obviously won't know until 3-3.30pm on Sunday."

Gibbs said playing would not make the injury any worse.

"The risk is probably his knee will get sore and he'll come off during the game and the team will be down one man. That's why we didn't make him do the whole training today."